Soul Deep
by Shidoin
Summary: Somewhat going to follow parts of the Ranma 1/2 story line...only with a twist, so a lot of it will end up very different.


Author's Note: This is just something that popped into my head a couple days ago so I'll start writing and see where it goes. A couple things to mention: The story will (to an extent) follow a lot of the same storyline as the original (altho don't always expect things to be in correct order), but of course with variations that will be needed to my storyline to work. Also just so there's no complaining that I messed up later on...right up front I'm letting you know that as far as Dr Tofu is concerned, I'm toning him down from completely loopy around Kasumi to just very shy. I'm sorry...that's just not a storyline I really want to mess with. On with it then!

P.s. I don't own the characters. If I did the anime/manga would have gone sooooooo differently....

Here's Ranma

"And just where do you get off thinking that it's your decision to make." The red haired girl screamed as her foot hit the gut of the panda that was her current cause of annoyance. "You don't just pick someone's fiance for them!"

With a growl the panda swiftly swiped his paw, knocking the girl back several paces to a street of surprised people.

"It's a girl...wow, where'd she come from" Came various murmers. "Oh my! A panda! Will you look at that!" The crowd watched in awe and the girl and panda continued to spar in the street until the battle ended when the panda hit the girl with the stop sign. "Oh my! Did you see what that panda did?" The murmers continued until they were silenced by the panda's growl.

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Meanwhile at a dojo nearby...

"Kasumi! Nabiki! Akane!" Soun called up the stairs to his three daughters. "I need to speak with the 3 of you! Come down please!"

"Just a moment, Father!" The sound of Kasumi's voice rang down the stairs.

"Very good, Kasumi! Nabiki? Akane?"

"Akane has locked herself in her room again Daddy!" Nabiki shouted down

Soun Tendo put a hand on the stair banister and looked up. 'My little Akane...won't we ever get passed this? Don't you know how much your father worries for you?'

"I'll get her to come down Father." Kasumi smiled at her father from the top of the stairs and Nabiki rounded her and started down herself.

"Thank you Kasumi....I don't know what I'd do without you...but please hurry...I really must speak to all three of you!" Soun said and walked into the front room with Nabiki.

With a sigh Kasumi walked to the door with a duck that had 'Akane' written on it and knocked. "Akane? May I please come in? Father wants to talk to us..." No response. "Akane please...I know you're still upset, but shutting out your family isn't going to make matters any better is it?"

After some shuffling from inside the room Kasumi heard the door handle jiggle and Akane poked her head out. "If Dad's just planning on trying to make me feel better again..." She began...

"It didn't sound that way. I think something might be going on...won't you please come downstairs. If you do then afterwords I'll bring you up some dinner so you can be alone if you'd like."

"Thanks Kasumi. Okay, lets get the over with"

The three girls sat at the table across from their father, each with a different expression.

"Engaged, Father?" Kasumi asked confused.

"Hmmm...oooh I hope he's handsome!" Nabiki smirked to herself.

"And just who has the right to choose who we marry, huh?" Akane yelled in frustration.

"He's the son of your father's very dear friend. His name is Ranma and if one of you were to marry him the future of this dojo would be secure." Soun rattled on as if he hadn't heard his daughters.

"Common guys.." Nabiki said "Maybe we shouldn't judge him until we see him right? Maybe he's cute!"

"Nabiki!" Kasumi snapped and Nabiki winced as the two older sisters looked over at their youngest sibling.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Akane..I didn't mean..."

"You don't need to apologize, Nabiki" Akane said with her forehead in her hand. "You're not the one promising of of your daughters to a complete stranger."

On the other side of the table a very nervous Soun let out a laugh. "Now, now, Akane....is that any way to talk about your dear father?"

Akane looked up and was about to respond when they heard the door burst open from down the hall.

"Lemme go, I tell ya! Lemme go!" Came a young voice.

"Oh my...we seem to have visitors!" Kasumi promptly stood and straightened her dress.

"It must be Ranma!" Nabiki stood and ran down the hall.

"Genma!" Soun shouted, running after his daughter. "My old friend it's been too many..."

Kasumi and Akane were just getting to the hallway when Soun and Nabiki rounded back towards them followed shortly by a huge panda carrying a person over his shoulder.

"Oh my..." Kasumi stated in shock.

"Daddy...is this your friend?" Nabiki demanded. When Soun shook his head in fear she added, "then who the heck are they, huh?!" Again Soun offered nothing more than a pitiful shake of the head.

The panda responded by placing the young girl down to stand between itself and the confused family.

"Kasumi..." Akane pulled her sister close to whisper in her ear "What's this all about?"

"Don't worry, Akane...we're going to find out....don't be scared I'll take care of you."

"You wouldn't happen to be..." Soun began looking at the girl.

"I'm Ranma Saotome...Sorry about this." She responded.

Without thinking Soun swooped Ranma into a monstrous hug as tears of joy began to run down his face. "It's so good to finally meet you my boy! Erm...um." Soun gave a small squeeze before pulling her to arm's length. "Wha....how can....?" Soun began to mumble.

Nabiki, being the natural detective of the family approached and let her eyes moved freely back and forth between Ranma's face the very endowed chest below it. "Hmmm..." She poked the girls breast a few times, "One hundred percent female, I tell you!" She growled and looked at her father.

"Um...please stop poking me..." Ranma said under his breath.

With a hard crash Soun was on the floor, the darkness began to overcome him.

"Oh dear...father!"

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Four girls sat beside the unconscious Soun with the panda sitting near his feet. He'd been out for several minutes and so the oldest daughter, Kasumi had put a cool rag over his head to help calm him. Finally he let out a murmer.

"I think he's coming to again.." Akane said and Kasumi used the cool rag to wipe her father's head.

"Oh father...you're alright...I'm sorry that you were so disappointed.."

"What do you mean you're sorry that HE'S disappointed?" Nabiki yelled. "I'm the one who's disappointed! I was really looking foreward to meeting this guy Ranma...and now it turns out that he isn't a 'he' at all!"

"I'm quite sure Genma informed me that he had a son! I just don't understand..."

"Does this look like a son to you?" Nabiki asked as she grabbed Ranma's breast. "Does it daddy?!"

"Calm down, Nabiki..honestly!" Everyone turned to look at Akane. "Boy or girl this person has come a long way to visit us and she deserves to be treated with more respect!"

After looking for a moment between Akane and Ranma, Nabiki slumped down a bit. "Sorry Akane...I didn't mean to be rude..."

"Eh don't worry about it....hey do you guys have a place I can stretch my muscles a bit? I haven't had a real good work out in days!" Ranma stood up enthused.

"Of course Ranma you can feel free to use the family dojo. A-" Kasumi started to say something to Akane but then cut herself off "Um...common I'll show you where it is." She took Ranma's arm and led her from the room. Neither Soun or Nabiki missed the forelorn look in Akane's eyes.

Some time later while Ranma was looking at old family photos that were up on a wall Kasumi walked up. "Ranma...I've prepared a bath for you. You must want to wash up after that long workout."

"Oh yeah...thank you for all your hospitalitly Kasumi...I don't know how to thank you for it." Ranma smiled.

A short time later...

'Ah..this is so relaxin. Hmm...wonder if I should just go out like this....they're gonna figure out who I am eventually anyway. Hmm...I still can't believe that Pop forced me to come here anyway...then again, at least the Tendo girls aren't horrid by any means...heck that one is kind of cute...a little strange from what I can tell, but...' Ranma's thoughts were interupted as he heard the door sliding open.

His eyes nearly came out of his head when he looked up to see a very much naked Akane standing there with nothing but a small towel to offer her any privacy. "Ranma? I hope you don't mind, Kasumi said you were in here, but it's been such a long day that I really just need a hot bath to help me relax." She smiled. "Ranma? You are in here aren't you?"

'Are in here?? Aren't I? What the....' Ranma backed up in the tub suddeny as Akane's towel dropped and she entered the tub on the side nearest the door she came in. 'This is bad...this is bad...this is bad! Oh my gosh, she's gonna kill me! Why isn't she killing me...she's so calm...Common stupid! Who just waltzes into a bath with a naked man you've never seen bef....never seen.' Very carefully Ranma exited the tub and walked over to the shower head turning it on and causing his transformation to take place.

"Akane...I'm sorry I guess I was so relaxed just now that I didn't hear you come in." The now female Ranma said. "Here...I'll let you take your bath in privacy..."

"No wait...you don't have to go, Ranma..there's plenty of room. Besides...it will give us a chance to get to know eachother a little better."

"Um...ordinarily I'd love to sit and chat, Akane...but...hey maybe later okay? I think I might go lay down for a while before dinner." and with that Ranma was out the door before Akane could say another word.

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The Tendo's sat on the ground across from Ranma and her now human again father, Genma.

"So the legend is true..." Soun said astounded...."So, if what you told me about you being cursed to be a panda that would mean that Ranma..."

"Yep..." Ranma said while pouring a cup of heated water over her head, causing her body to transform back into its original male form.

The two older Tendo daughters gasped in unison and Akane looked all around the room.

"Kasumi? What's wrong?" She asked sounding somewhat nervous.

"I...I sent her in while you were bathing...I thought the relaxing atmosphere would do her good and that you two could become friends...Ranma..when she came in...were you?"

Ranma looked to the ground and blushed. "Um...yeah...but I swear I would have said something before if I'd thought about the fact that you're all girls here and that knocking wasn't probably an issue..."

"Who the heck is that?!" Akane suddenly yelled and grabbed Kasumi's arm.

Ranma stood and walked over to Akane. Taking her arm gently he lifted her up so she was standing. "Akane...my name is Ranma...I'm the one who was in the bath earlier...I'm sorry that I didn't say anything at first...but I knew you'd have to be upset at walking in on a strange man in your bath...it was an honest mistake...it was the hot water...it changed me back to what I really am."

"And...and the cold water changed you back.." Kasumi chimed in. "Because you didn't want to scare her..."

Akane stood there shaking 'He was in there...and I was just going on and on about sharing the bath and becoming friends...oh....I was naked....what would I have done if....'

"Hey, hey, Akane..." Ranma put his hand on her face to try to calm her. "I just wanted to say that once I saw you walk through the door I looked the other way. I changed back so that I could tell you I was leaving without hurting your feelings and I felt so bad that I hadn't cleared this up with all of you in the first place." He grabbed her hand. "Please...if you'll accept my apology I'd still like to get to know you and be friends..."

"You're...you're a boy." Akane started shaking again. "You...saw me naked.....what if you were some kind of pervert? You could have....you could have...." Kasumi jumped up now and caught Akane as tears began rolling down her face.

"Shh...shh..it's okay...nothing happened...I know we don't know him..." Kasumi looked at Ranma for a moment "but I believe him when he says it was an accident....he's sincere Akane...I promise. Have I ever lied to you?"

Akane sniffled. "No..."

"Akane?" Ranma asked out of the blue and when everyone looked at him he continued. "Um...I know it's probably not my place, but I couldn't help but noticing after you didn't scream when you walked in...um...that is...How long have you not been able to see?"

"I guess you weren't the only one trying to keep a secret, Ranma..." Nabiki said.

"Um...not to interupt this conversation.." Soun interrupted then "but Genma...now that we know Ranma really IS a man and not a woman....don't you think our arrangement?"

"Should go on as planned! Of course Tendo!" Genma laughed

"Will ya both just shut your mouths for a minute?" Ranma scowled at both men. "This isn't really the time to be talking about that.."

"But son...the future of the schools..."

"Will still be there in the future" Kasumi cut off Genma. "Ranma's right....there's plenty of time to discuss that later, when Akane's feeling better." It took one glance to each Soun and Genma for them to know that she was serious.

"Akane..." Ranma gently grabbed her hand again "It's okay if you say no but...by way of apology for what happened...would you let me take you out for some ice cream?"

Akane stood there for a minute before she responded..."Well...okay...but just because I can't see you don't think that means I can't clobber you if you really are some kind of pervert!" She slipped her arm around his elbow. "And the same goes if you try to run me into any poles."

With that Ranma led Akane out of the house and they began walking up the street.

Soun sighed, "Well, Genma...I hope that we can get down to business soon...after all we're not getting any younger are we?"

"No Tendo, no we're not...we'll give the boy some time to help out Akane...then we'll bring it up again."

'I wonder if that's going to be necessary...' Kasumi thought to herself and she thought of Akane holding Ranma's arm and the two walking off together. 'She hasn't let any man touch her since it happened...and yet I could see her physically calming when he grabbed her hand...Oh Ranma...I hope you end up being the kind of person that I think you are...my little sister has been through enough.'

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End file.
